Instrument for closing and opening split sinkers on fishing lines



July 22, 1952 R. BROWN ET AL INSTRUMENT FOR CLOSING AND OPENING SPLITSINKERS ON FISHING LINES Filed May 9, 1950 Patented July 22, 1952INSTRUMENT FOR CLOSING ANDOPENING SPLIT SINKERS N FISHING LINES} RussellG. Brown and Kenneth E. Brown; 1 Montague, Mich. 1

Application May 9, 1950, Serial No. 160,914 V This invention relates toan instrument for closing and opening a split sinker on a fishing lineand has for its primary object to facilitate the rapid clinching of asplit sinker on a fishing line.

Another object is to facilitate the opening of a clinched sinker so thatthe fishing line to which the sinker is attached may be readily removedfrom the split in the sinker.

A further object is to support a groupof split sinkers near theclinching jaws of the instrument for presentation one at a time to thejaws for clinching about a fishing line, and means yieldingly to movethe sinker supporting means away from a clinched sinker held in the jawsto automatically remove it from the sinker supporting means.

Still another object is to support a group of sinkers of different sizesfor selective presentation of one of the sinkers to the clinching jaws.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this inventionwhich embodies among its features a .pair of crossed handles pivotallyconnected together for arcuate movement, a pair of cooperating clinchingjaws carried by the handles and projecting laterally therefrom adjacentthe pivot, and a pair of cooperating sinker opening jaws extendinglongitudinally from the handle.

Other features include a magazine pivotally connected to the handle onthe side of the instrument from which the clinching jaws project, saidmagazine being movable in an arc toward or away from the jaws, meanswithin the magazine to support a group of split sinkers thereinforpresentation one at a time, between the clinching jaws, and yieldingmeans on the handle and engaging the magazine for moving said magazineaway from the jaws whereby a clinched sinker will be automaticallyextracted from the magazine while held between the jaws.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of an instrument for closing and opening a splitsinker on a fishing line, embodying the features of this invention;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the device in use foropening a split sinker carried by a fishing line; a I a Figure .3 is atransverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 ofFigure l; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4--4 ofFigure 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail this improved instrument comprises apair of crossed handles in and I2 which are pivotally coupled 5 Claims.(CI. 81-15) I I together adjacent oneend of the instrument by'a suitablepivot pin M. The ends of the handles remote from the pivot pin arecurved inwardly as at I6 and I8 respectively, and'fo'rmed in the curvedportion I6 of the handle I0 is a recess 20 for the. reception'of alatching boss 22 carried by the curved portion l8of the handle I2, sothat when the curved portions I6 and is are overlapped the handles l0and I2 will be releasably held together. Carried on the handle I0 andprojecting laterally therefrom adjacent the pivot I4 is a clinching jaw24 which cooperates with a similar. clinching jaw 26 carried by thehandle l2 adjacent the pivot I4. It is to be noted that the clinchingjaws 24 and 26 project laterally from the instrument and in thepreferred form the'adjacent faces of the clinching jaws 24 and 26 areknurled or milled. Extending longitudinally from the handle [0 at theendthereof adjacent the pivot I4 is a blade shaped slit openins jaw 28and a similar cooperating blade shaped slit opening jaw 30 projectslongitudinally from the handle lZ adjacent the pivot l4 and the adjacentedges of the jaws 2B and'30 are made relatively thin and the laws arebent to cause the adjacent thin edges to align when they are closed.

Projecting laterally from the handle I0 is'an ear 32 in which issupported a .transversely extending pivot pin 34 and surrounding thepivot pin on opposite sides of the ear 32 are spacing tubes 36 and .38.Pivotally mounted on the pin 34 and abutting the outer ends-of the tubes36 and 38 are ears .40. carried by a magazine designated generally 42.The magazine comprises a substantially circular cylindrical case 44having a notch 46 in its periphery, the deepest part of which alignswith the space between the jaws 24 and 26 when the magazine is moved onthe pivot pin 34 toward the jaws. Extending axially through the magazineforv rotation with relation thereto is an axle shaft 48 to which isattached intermediate its ends a hub 50. This hub carries on oppositesides spaced-parallel disks 52 and 54 each of which is formed at'itsperiphery with aligning; outstanding'fingers 56 and 58. ,Thesefingers lie along axes whichradiate from the axis of the shaft-48 andeach is provided adjacent its outer end with a recess 60 which opensoutwardly through the ends'of the fingers toform yielding I grip's -lizso that a sinker entered into the carriag'e 64 formed by the hub 50andthe disks 52 and S l-will be releasably held between'the fingers 56and 58. One end of the shaft 48 projects .beyond the side of the case 44to the exterior thereof the magazine 42' so that when the magazine is imoved about the pivot 34 toward the clinching jaws Hand 26, the springwill be tensioned and urged to move in a reversed directhe magazinetion.

riage 64 between the fingers 56 and 58 so asto rest in the recesses 60of a finger 56 as illustrated in Figure 1, with the V-shaped split Vextending outwardly and in substantial registration with azine thusloaded,- a sinker of the desired size and weight may be selectedbyrotatingothe-knob B6 to bring, the sinker into the, notch 56in substantially the position illustrated inlFigure l. Uponopening the jaws assuggested by the dotted lines in Figure 1, and movingthe magazine 42about the pivot 3Q against the effort of the spring -68, the selectedsinker S will be presented between In use split ,sinkers S are insertedin the car- 4 7 adjacent faces of said clinching jaws being knurled forgripping a split sinker and closing it about a fishing line, a magazinecarried by the handle on the side of the instrument from which the jawsproject, said magazine being movable in an arc toward and away from thejaws, and a means carriedby the -magazine for: holding a group of; opensinkers andtpresenting them one at a time between the jaws for closurethereby.

3. In an instrument for closing and opening a split sinker on a fishingline, a pair of crossed handles pivotally connected together adjacentthe intersection thereof, cooperating laterally projecting clinchingjaws on the handles, the

adjacent faces of said clinching jaws being knurled for gripping a splitsinker and closing it 'a'bouta fishing line, a magazine carried by thethe outer ends of the openings 60. with the mag- 1 a clinched sinkerfrom a=fishing line, the ins-tru- While ,in the-foregoing there hasbee'nfshown and describedrthe preferred formof'this inven-' tion, it isto be understood that minor changes in the details of, construction,combination and arrangement ofparts maybe rescrtedto without departingfrom the spirit and scope oftheyinvention as claimed. 7

We claim: V 1. In an'instrument for closing andropening a split sinkerona fishing-line, a, pair of crossed handles pivotally connected togetheradjacent the intersection thereof, cooperating laterally projectingclinching. jaws on the handles, the adjacent faces of said clinchingjawsbeing knurled for grippingasplit sinker and closing it aboutafishing line, and sinker holding means pivotally carried by one of thehandles for moves mentin'anarc' toward and away from the jaws topresentan open sinker between-the jaws forv closurethereby, '2, In aninstrument. for closing and opening a split sinkeron fishing line, apair of crossed handles pivotally connected together adjacent theintersection thereof, cooperating laterally handle on the side of theinstrument from which the jaws project, said magazine being movable inan arc toward and away from the jaws, and a rotary carriage mounted insaid magazine for holding a group'of open sinkers and presenting themone at a time to the jawsfor closure therey.

4:. In an instrument for closing and opening a split sinker on a fishingline, a pair of crossed handles pivotally connected together adjacentthe intersection thereof, cooperating laterally projecting clinchingjaws on the handles, the adjacent faces of said clinching jaws designedfor gripping a split sinker and closing itrabout a fishing line, amagazine pivotally carried by the handle on the side of the instrumentfrom which the jaws project, said'magazine being movable in an arctoward and away from the jaws, a carriage mounted in'said magazine torotateabout an axis which. lies parallel tothe axis about which themagazine moves and having yieldable pairs of fingers for holding a groupof open sinkers and presenting them one at a time between the jaws forclosure thereby.

5. In an instrument for closing and opening a splitsinker on ai'ishingline, a pair of crossed handles, pivotally connected together adjacentthe intersection thereof, coperating laterally projecting clinching jawson the handles, the adjacent faces of said'clinching jawsbeing knurledfor gripping a split sinker and closing it about a fishing line, sinkerholding. means carried by one of the handles for movement in an arctoward and away from-thejaws to present an open sinker between the jawsfor closure thereby, and yielding means ca'rried .by. the handlecarrying said sinker holding means and engaging said sinker'hol'ding,means for moving said sinker holding means out. of sinker presentingposition projecting clinching jaws on the handles, the

and when the sinker is held bythe clinching awe,

RUSSELL G. BROWN, KENNETI-I- E. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED 'STA'IESPATENTS Shough Nov; 14, 1922

